An Absolutely Remarkable Thing: A Novel

Summary

In his much-anticipated debut novel, Hank Green—cocreator of Crash Course, Vlogbrothers, and SciShow--spins a sweeping, cinematic tale about a young woman who becomes an overnight celebrity before realizing she's part of something bigger, and stranger, than anyone could have possibly imagined.

The Carls just appeared.

Roaming through New York City at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship—like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor—April and her friend, Andy, make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day, April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world—from Beijing to Buenos Aires—and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight.

Seizing the opportunity to make her mark on the world, April now has to deal with the consequences her new particular brand of fame has on her relationships, her safety, and her own identity. And all eyes are on April to figure out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with big themes, including how the social internet is changing fame, rhetoric, and radicalization; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration spring for the same dehumanization that follows a life in the public eye. The beginning of an exciting fiction career, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a bold and insightful novel of now.

Reviews

Carl’s appearance makes twenty-three year old April May an internet sensation after her friend Andy makes a video and uploads it to YouTube, making April May the first to document the robot sculpture and, therefore, the one in the internet spotlight. But the giant robot standing outside the New York Chipotle restaurant is not alone; there are transformer-like giants, wearing samurai armor, in cities around the world. Where did the Carls come from? What do they want? And how will April May cope with being in that spotlight?Despite the promising plot and the revealing look at social media and internet fame, the book does not live up to its promise. April May is an annoying, unlikable main character. Not liking Twitter and visiting art museums does not make her a different, better, or more interesting character. Add a pretentious ending that fails to truly deal with the alien Carls, and frustrated readers are in for a great deal of disappointment.

The talented brothers John and Hank Green are smart, insightful, and funny. John has already proven he is also an excellent novelist. Hank might have a way to go yet, although he shows promise with this book. I thought passages were very good, but in some sections, I wanted to shout, “Okay already! Let’s have some editing!”This novel is about 23-year-old April May, who seems to be part Hank Green himself, and part a really obnoxious, conceited young woman who needs to grow up - and, I can’t resist adding - shut up…April, coming home from work late one night in New York City, encounters a gigantic metal sculpture on the sidewalk, which she describes as “a 10-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor.” Since she is interested in art, she decides to ask her BFF Andy to help her record a video about appreciation for the sculpture she names Carl. The video goes viral, in part because these “Carls” have also appeared all over the world in other cities, but that fact had gone unregistered until April brought it to everyone’s attention.Pretty soon April is an internet celebrity, and it goes to her head. She loves getting more followers, loves feeling like she now has a “voice,” and reports candidly (and repeatedly) about how fame changes her for the worse.Meanwhile, now that the Carls have been noticed, and moreover, after their “alien” nature has been exposed, other voices compete with April’s for control of the message about what the arrival of the Carls means for the Earth. An alt-right group calling themselves “The Defenders” (i.e., of Earth), are whipping up fear and hatred, and April is responding in kind (i.e., when they go low, she goes low too). Before she knows it, she is a mirror image of them, engaging them on their level: is she any better? At least she is aware she is now addicted to fame, even if she can’t resist its lure.And what about the Carls? The book expends a great deal of verbiage on trying to solve the mystery of them, but it seems, in this book anyway (there is to be a sequel), that the Carls are beside the point.Discussion: Some of Hank’s insights into current culture, poisonous partisanship, and the exploitation of that conflict for profit, are right on, even if hammered at a little too incessantly. I loved the moments in which I could hear the voice of Hank underneath April’s. For example, while he tried to have April deliver discourses on social justice, April herself was a little too self-centered and oblivious for me to believe it. I didn’t mind much; I knew it was Hank…. If it were anyone else but Hank, I would probably skip the sequel. But I’m a big fan of the Green brothers and the change for good they are trying to make in the world, so I plan to pursue the saga of April May.

I was a bit overly excited about this book when it popped up on Book of the Month Club's picks. As a huge fan and binge watcher of Crash Course, I really looked forward to a book by Hank Green. It also sounded like an interesting premise. Sci-fi and social commentary about social media? Count me in!Therefore, you can my imagine my dismay when I picked it up and immediately didn't like it. Yes, I did not like the first few chapters. I particularly didn't like April May, even though we have a lot in common.Perhaps it was just her first-person narration style that irritated me. It was set up as though the reader lived in the same dimensional plane/time as the narrator and knew what was going to happen next, which often felt patronizing. She also felt flip-floppy as someone who starts as an artsy girl who appreciates fine art and doesn't want to be on camera to creating her brand persona practically overnight. And the YouTube video that changed everything didn't seem anything viral-worthy. First doesn't always mean most popular.Even by the end, I wasn't a huge fan of her. I liked her slightly more for her faults and attempts to bring humanity together, but her continued selfishness was so counterintuitive that it was almost irritating. I felt torn between rooting for her and wanting to punch her in the face.The rest, though, I really loved. The idea of alien statues that defy physics, dreams that involve codes that humanity has to work together to solve, social commentary on social media and extremism, it was all right up my alley.After I got over my distaste of April May, I was sucked into what would happen next. What was the purpose of Carl? Would humans prevail? Would Carl come to life and tell humanity the purpose for life and everything...or better yet the question to 42?Well, I won't spoil what does or does not happen, but I am looking forward to a sequel. But, maybe not from April's perspective?Overall, it is a really great Sci-Fi mystery that makes you question if we are alone and what could happen if we meet other life...or at least have a female president.

This is the most 2018 book of 2018, but it works. For now - I suspect this book will become dated quickly. But it’s great, so read it ASAP! April May is walking down the street in Manhattan in the middle of the night when a rejected MetroCard forces her to double back and walk the way she just came not five minutes beforehand. But suddenly, there’s a really, really large...statue? Of...something? Blocking her path. April May assumes that the vaguely person/soldier-like statue is some sort of crazy art installation that has just been wheeled into place. She calls her YouTuber friend to come meet her and they film a little piece, have a laugh, and go to bed. They dub the statue “Carl.” The following morning, April May wakes up and discovers that not only has their little video gone viral, there are other “Carl” statues all over the world. So, what - or who - is Carl? Has April May just made first contact with...an extraterrestrial? And why are people suddenly having the same dream?This was a really engaging book - light on the sci-fi but it’s there to a degree - and pulls in some of the craziest aspects of our media / viral culture, blowing them a little out of proportion to show the ridiculousness, but never verging into satire.

I had no idea where this story was going to go, I didn't really try to find out about it ahead of time. All I knew going in is that it had to do with fame, and science fiction. It's a really interesting look at how an average person might deal with sudden fame, and advice from people who seem well-meaning, but it isn't really clear who is on your side, and knows what they're talking about. It's best not to explain the science fiction aspects, you'll have more fun getting there yourself.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green is a sci-fi sociopolitical commentary about the perils and pitfalls of Internet fame as well as social cooperation on a global scale. In Green's debut novel, April May finds what she thinks is an art installation in the heart of New York City so in true millennial fashion she enlists the help of her friend Andy to film their first interaction with what they dub as 'Carl' the robot. While this may be the first video of its kind with one of these robots it turns out that there is one in every major city in the world...and they're clearly alien to our planet. What follows is a realistic look at the arrival of Internet fame and someone completely unprepared to deal with the visibility and responsibility of such a mantle. Trolls, flame wars, sycophants, corporate deals, possible planet-wide destruction, and girlfriend drama are just a few of the myriad dilemmas that our main character finds herself facing. I didn't find April May to be a particularly likable or endearing character which made it difficult for me to feel any sympathy for her plights. I'm not certain but perhaps Green intended for the reader to feel rather indifferent towards her to illustrate how as a society we tend to place any kind of 'celebrity' up on a pedestal but like any human being they have faults and foibles. If that was his goal then he accomplished it I think. Some of the pros: I really enjoyed the shared dream aspect as it felt like a callback to The Giver and A Wrinkle in Time but I felt like it could have used more detail/descriptors instead of focusing so much on April's inner turmoils. I also liked how Green wrote about a topic that has only really been touched on in nonfiction formats (although Zoe Sugg's series Girl Online discussed it too) and couched it in a sci-fi framework. Some things I didn't love: Uneven attention to detail and the ending was less than stellar. (I'd go so far as to say it was crappy.) Overall, this wasn't the best sci-fi novel I've ever read (not by a wide margin) but it also wasn't the worst. For a debut attempt, I think it was pretty well executed and I'd be interested to see what he might create in the future. 4/10

A fun read about a giant robot sculpture appearing in New York City and the chaos that ensues. At its heart it’s a meditation on the pitfalls of fame. It reminded me a lot of Sleeping Giants”. The main character, April May, got annoying fast, but the story keeps out interested. “Human beings are terrible at accepting uncertainty, so when we are ignorant we make assumptions based on how we imagine the world.”

Hank Green's debut has a sci-fi plot that was intriguing and enjoyable, but really it's about sudden fame and the interconnected, social- media-infused world we now live in. I didn't love any of the characters, which made the handful of draggy bits seem even more draggy, but that is really a personal reaction rather than anything approaching an objective criticism of the book. The main character, April May, is kind of unlikeable, and that is largely the point. Green does some really great stuff with allowing her to be flawed and exploring how her personality interacts with her circumstance. For anyone who has seen a lot of Green's content as himself (watched his Youtube videos, listened to his podcasts), as I have, it may sometimes feel like Green is talking at you out of the novel's pages (where it should be April May, as the pov is first person), but it still mostly works. If I have any real criticism of the book it is this: YOU CALL THAT AN ENDING HANK HOW DARE. Ahem. Mostly recommended, especially if you are a Hank Green/Vlog Brothers fan and/or if you are fascinated by the way the internet and social media are impacting our cultures. I think this would be a fascinating book to read alongside The Nix, incidentally, as I think they both get at much of the same things in some pretty varied ways.

Green's debut novel is sci-fi for the Youtube/social media generation. In the middle of the night April discovers a 10 ft tall transformer wearing samurai armor that she calls Carl. She and her best friend upload a Vlog about it to Youtube and gets caught up in a viral whirlwind as more Carl's appear over the world. Are they man-made, some elaborate art project, or sent by alien overlords. It has shades of Ready Player One, when the world starts dreaming the same dream about the Carls and elaborate puzzles to solve. Good guys vs. bad guys racing to solve the enigma of the Carls. The ending was a bit telegraphed, but over all an excellent read.Would you rather be the first person to reveal that there is a mystery? Or the person who solves the mystery?

Hank Green’s An Absolutely Remarkable Thing tells the story of April May, a twenty-three-year-old with a background in design, who finds a giant robot statue at 3AM in New York City. She dubs it Carl and with her friend Andy Skampt, they film it and go viral. Other people around the world realize that there are 63 other Carls, which no one can explain. April and Andy, together with her girlfriend Maya, a materials scientist named Miranda Beckwith, and their publicist/friend, Robin, begin to look into the mystery of the Carls and the strange dreams they cause, leading them to conclude that the statues are from another planet.As much as Green’s work is science-fiction, it’s also an insightful look into modern social media and its affect on culture. Green writes (via April), “I’m honestly worried, because I think we’re just starting to get used to the impact that the social internet is having on us culturally and emotionally and socially. It wasn’t exactly bringing us together before this, right? But now I’m worried we have this whole other massive change to get used to. If we keep driving wedges, if we keep getting more and more scared…” (pg. 165). He, again through April, posits that people can react with fear or hostility to things they don’t understand, or, echoing the optimism in the face of adversity that characterizes the millennial generation, they can work together to fix the problems. Green writes, “It’s so much easier for people to get excited about disliking something than agreeing to like it. The circle jerk of mockery and self-congratulation was so intense I didn’t even notice I was at its center. It was so easy to get people to follow me, and in the end, that’s what I wanted” (pg. 214). In this, he warns of the dangers of going viral and the double-edged sword of suddenly finding oneself with a platform while also commenting on how the social internet replicates the partisan nature of the world to its most extreme extent.Both funny and thoughtful, Green’s debut novel examines many of the issues he’s discussed through his own online platforms with the same authenticity he’s cultivated. April is a flawed protagonist, but one with whom readers with experience of social media’s impact on everyday life will easily relate. Various psychologists, such as Albright College professor Dr. Gwendolyn Seidman, have commented on the way “likes” affect psychological well-being, though Green’s novel uses the tropes of science-fiction to portray this phenomenon in a very human manner. A must-read for all who came of age with the Internet.

Well, that was a thing that I read. I mean, it was fun and I love a good cipher, but it was very...moral, wasn't it? Like, at the end, the message/moral (Good things happen when the whole world works together! And it's fun!) started getting in the way of the story. And April May, the protagonist&mdash;for as much as Green tries to dull her sparkle&mdash; is still a bit of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, with the added bonus of being the Chosen One because even the Carls aren't immune to her quirky charm.

But, as I stated earlier, it was fun and full of good ciphers and a great soundtrack and it is a debut, so some slack must be granted. Gods know it's going to sell a bajlilionty copies, even if it's absolute crap. And it's not absolute crap. it's really quite enjoyable, even if I wanted nearly any other character to be the protagonist (Maya would have been awesome. Or Andy.) 90% of the time.

pril May is a graphic designer who lives in New York City. One night while walking home after getting off work at 3am, she comes across a ten foot statue of a robot in the middle of the sidewalk. No one else seems to be taking notice of him. Her first instinct is to call her friend and YouTuber Andy to come down and film it. He meets her at the robot and makes a video of April and the robot, who she has named Carl. Andy goes home and posts the video and by the time April wakes up, it’s got viral. Majorly viral. And that’s all the details of the plot I can give you without spoiling it.An Absolutely Remarkable Thing raises important questions about Internet fame in this age of social media and YouTube. How far is too far to go in the pursuit of internet fame? Can two sides of an issue ever see eye to eye or have a nuanced discussion using social media and the internet? What role does fear play in communicating using social media? These are just a few examples of what this book will make you think about.Hank Green is a great person to tackle these themes because he has what April refers to in the book as Third Tier internet fame himself. (He’ll probably trend on Twitter if he dies.) He and his brother John started the vlogbrothers YouTube channel around ten years ago and have millions of subscribers now. They also host the hilarious podcast Dear Hank and John. Hank is the CEO of Complexly, which produces a number of educational YouTube shows like Crash Course and SciShow. He founded VidCon, he invented 2D glasses – the list goes on and on!If you are a Nerdfighter (i.e. fan of vlogbrothers) like me, you’ll recognize several Easter eggs that Hank has put in An Absolutely Remarkable Thing for us. I want to go back and read it because I’m sure I missed some. And Hank and April have some similarities that I think Nerdfighters will recognize as well.Even if you’ve never heard of Hank Green, I recommend this book. It’s insightful but also a lot of fun. It ended with a doozy of a cliffhanger – I can’t wait for the sequel!

Hank Green is known to me because of his brother John Green, and some of their internet antics. Their projects and pieces are interesting and inventive, with a bit of salient truth about them. So, when I heard Hank had written a novel, I decided to check it out. It proved to be interesting and inventive, with a bit of salient truth about it. The brothers Green can write.

Interesting commentary and insight into social media and how it influences its participants, mixed in with a science fiction story line. I wanted to know how it ended, but the cliffhanger ending left me unsatisfied and annoyed. Apparently this is the first part of a two book deal, so there will be a sequel.

There is not a lot I can say with our spoiling anything, but this book is indeed An Bbsolutley Remarkable thing. It's also some what important to note for some out there this is not a "John Green" book there is something uniquely Hank in its manic scifi story line and poignant modern cultural analysis. Read it, love it, and she's going to piss you off but don't be too hard on April.

Wow! Very important fir both adults and youth who spend so much time on social media, and the suddenly rising stars among them suddenly thrust into world events, and those aiming and/or wishing they already were. Branding, choosing a persona versus the real person one is, the addiction to fame, the addiction to responding to the famous, the polarization and danger if inflammatory politics,

So many great themes in a young adult novel, skillfully handled. I listened till I couldn’t keep my eyes open then woke up to finish the last three hours.

This book was super unique and unlike anything I have ever read. The way that fame had such a big impact on the main character was eye opening and honestly scary. The story took so many unecpected turns and at sometimes it reminded me of Ready Player One. I did really like the characters and found myself sympathising with them but sometimes I didn't agree with their actions. And what can I say about the ending other than mind blowing? the way the narrative changed as well as the PoV was heartbreaking and had me on the edge of my seet. The narrator was great and did an amazing job at differanciating between the different characters voices. My only complaint was the writing. At some points it was very deep, thought provoking and qouteable but at other parts it was childish and kinda took me out of the story. But other than that I absoluetly adored this book and do not know how I'll wait for the next book after this cliffhanger. MAX